Uterine supporter



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAVUS KLEINWORT, OF ALBION, ILLINOIS.

UTERINE SUPPORTER.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 30,410, dated October 16, 1860.

T o all whom it may concern.' l

Be it known that I, GUSTAVUS KLEINWORT, of Albion, in the county of Edwards and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful instrument which I denominate the Uterine Supporter, and I do hereby declare that thc following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specication, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of the instrument folded up in the form required for insertion in the vagina; Fig. 2, an elevation of it in the form it assumes after being inserted and while giving support to the uterus; Fig. 3,

' a top view; and Fig. l, a vertical section.

The same letters indicate like parts in all the figures.

The object of my invention is to give support to the uterus in females aiiicted with the falling of that organ, by an instrument which is readily inserted and which after being inserted in the vagina will sustain the uterus and in giving such support spread, so as to be itself retained in place by the lahia of the vagina.

In the accompanying drawings (a) represents a ring, which I prefer to make of the hard compound of india-rubber, but which may be made of other suitable material. This ring is rounded on the edges that it may not abrade the parts, and its outer and inner diameters are to be suited to the size of the parts so that the lower part of the uterus may rest on the ring with the eXtreme lower part within the ring. To admit of folding it up for easy insertion, this ring is made in four sections (o, al, a?, 603,) connected by two pairs of parallel hinge joints (o).y the two hinges forming each pair being in line, so that the ring can be folded up in the form represented in Fig. 1.

The outer edges of the two opposite sections and of this ring are hinged each by a universal joint (c) to the upper end of a brace rod (d) made of the same material, the lower ends of these two rods being in turn hinged as at (e, 6,) to the inner faces of two broad flaps (f, f,) and near the outer ends thereof, the said flaps being in turn connected with each other at their inner ends by a hinged joint By reason of the several hinged joints forming the connections of the several parts, the entire instrument can be folded up in the form represented at Fig. 1, so that it can be readily inserted in the vagina until the upper surface of the ring (a) reaches the uterus to lift it up, and when the uterus has been lifted up to the required height, by continuing to force up the instrument it will gradually spread out in the form repre` sented in Fig. 2, with the flaps (f, f,) resting on the inside of the labia, by which the entire instrument is retained in place giving eficient support to the weak part, the universal joint connections of the ring (a) with the braces giving it freedom of play in all directions.

The better to enable the labia to retain t-he instrument, the outer surfaces of the flaps (f, 7,) are formed with cavities (it, It). A cord (i) is attached to the center hinge of the flaps by which the instrument can be readily drawn out.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The ring or its equivalent to support the uterus in combination with the flaps connected with each other by a hinged joint and with the ring by hinged braces, so that the instrument may be folded up for insertion, and then spread out, that the instru ment may be retained in place without 4eX- ternal supporters.

GUSTAVUS KLEINVVORT.

Witnesses GEORGE HARRIS,

GEORGE R. FITCH. 

